Cannobio on Lake Maggiore

Cannobio with kids

Cannobio is a very family-friendly place. At the Lido, in addition to the wide beach, there's a large sunbathing lawn; in summer, Acqualand with its huge water slide provides excitement. Plus, there's the mini-golf course at the town entrance, an ice cream on the promenade, a walk to the swaying suspension bridge Ponte Ballerino, or a refreshing dip at Orrido di Sant'Anna. For excursions with children, we recommend the Wonderwood high ropes course, the Brissago Islands, or Lido Locarno with its slides. And of course, our Lakeview is also a paradise for families.

Sports in Cannobio

Cannobio offers a lot for sports enthusiasts. At the public beach, there are several opportunities to round off your beach day with beach volleyball and football. Several tennis courts are available at the town entrance, hard to miss when driving from Lakeview Cannobio Resort to Cannobio.
Right next to the tennis courts, you'll also find a mini-golf course. Fitness centers are also in town. Water sports courses (including windsurfing and sailing) are offered directly at Cannobio's public beach, the Lido Cannobio. You can also conveniently learn several water sports right at the Lakeview Cannobio Camping Resort with the Lakeview Water Sports School. Our eFoil courses, in particular, are a huge hit on Lake Maggiore: our foils glide silently across the lake and rise out of the water, giving you the impression that you're literally flying over the lake. Lake Maggiore's unique location makes it a perfect place to learn water sports.

SUP, kayaks, pedal boats, motorboats, etc. can be rented directly from us and used directly from our own beach. For adrenaline-filled canyoning or trekking tours, we're happy to arrange providers near Cannobio. And for even more adrenaline, we recommend the original James Bond GoldenEye bungee jump in the Verzasca Valley or a tandem parachute jump over Lake Maggiore. Zipline Lago Maggiore also offers an impressive zipline over the valleys; information is available at our reception. The Wonderwood high ropes course is very family-friendly, the perfect climbing adventure for young and old and just 20 minutes from Cannobio.

Wellness in Cannobio

Frankly: Cannobio is beautiful and offers many leisure activities. However, wellness is not necessarily what Cannobio is known for. But that's not a problem, because in 20 to 30 minutes you can reach Locarno, where the Salini Termali Spa Locarno is located right on the beach. Swiss prices, Swiss quality, one might say: this wonderful wellness temple near Cannobio is not cheap, but it's worth every franc. So if you want to be pampered on rainy days, this is the place to be.

Shopping & Shopping in Cannobio

Cannobio offers diverse shopping options: two supermarkets, one of them right by the public beach. Various bakeries and delicatessens with Italian specialties, which you should definitely visit, ensure good supply. On the main street there's a large shop for fresh and affordable fruit.
The old town of Cannobio invites you to browse: many shops for clothing, shoes, handicrafts, and all daily necessities can be found here. Two Carrefour supermarkets offer groceries: one right at the public beach, the other, newer and larger Carrefour in the center of the village. This one also has a small parking garage and is easy to reach.

Every Sunday, the market in Cannobio also takes place on the promenade, featuring not only food but also clothing, shoes, and especially leather goods. As a guest of Lakeview Cannobio, you can reach the market in Cannobio stress-free by tourist train. Information is available at reception. If you want to do more extensive shopping, you'll find what you're looking for in Verbania (approx. 35 minutes from Cannobio) or head to Centro Isole in Gravellona Toce (approx. 45 minutes), a huge shopping center. Within about 75 minutes, you can also shop at outlet prices at the Foxtown Outlet Center or at Vicolungo the Style Outlets. Here you can find more information on shopping on Lake Maggiore.

Medical care in Cannobio

The pharmacies in Cannobio are very familiar with tourists and provide multilingual help with all questions regarding medication. For dental emergencies, there's a dental practice in Cannobio right next to the supermarket by the public beach. And the Centro Medico di Cannobio (Via Zaccheo Paolo) offers medical care in almost all specialties. In an emergency, you can reach emergency services via the European emergency number 112 (you'll also be redirected at 118). If you need to go to hospital, the hospitals in Locarno in neighboring Switzerland are the quickest option, where German is also spoken very well. Alternatively, you can find hospitals in Verbania and Domodossola. You're more likely to find German-speaking doctors on the Swiss side in Ascona and Locarno. Please check with your insurance company beforehand which costs will be covered: medical services in Switzerland are significantly more expensive than in Italy or Germany!

Dining in Cannobio: our restaurant tips

What would Italy be without its famous food? Of course, Cannobio is also a paradise for gourmets.
While you can eat well (and comparatively cheaply!) on the promenade, but are exposed to larger crowds there, many traditional restaurants just outside the Cannobio promenade invite you for lunch or dinner in Cannobio.
On the way to the Cannobina Valley, less than 5 minutes by car from Cannobio, you'll find, for example, Antico Sempione, a traditional Italian restaurant with excellent cuisine. A few hundred meters further, Vino e Divino delights with very modern Italian cuisine. And of course, our Lakeview Restaurant also offers affordable and very good Italian cuisine!

For those who prefer the front row of Cannobio's lively promenade, we recommend Cafe Sport and Cafe Verbano. Both offer very good and affordable hot meals continuously from lunchtime until late evening. In addition to good pizza and pasta, both restaurants also serve fresh fish and meat dishes. Right next door, Laura & Paul is a little more upscale, which is also reflected in the prices. Beer-Bante, a little further north on the Lungolago di Cannobio, focuses more on pizza and meat, but is also highly recommended. In all of these restaurants you sit on the promenade with the best view of Lake Maggiore. The food in Cannobio tastes twice as good!

... and pizza is a must in Cannobio!

The quick takeaway pizza is also part of Italy and Cannobio. Ristorante Torchio (right in Cannobio, Via Darbedo) serves the takeaway wishes of many campers, but is also very nice for sitting and lingering. Right next door at Nello you can get first-class Neapolitan pizza to go. On the lakeside promenade, Pizzeria Era Ora offers very good pizza and a beautiful view of the lake. And for those who need culinary variety: even sushi is offered in Cannobio; right on the main street you'll find two very good Asian restaurants.
If you want to combine an excursion with a view and good food, we recommend the Trattoria Volpe in Cannobio Sant'Agata. From Sant'Agata you have a fantastic view over Cannobio, can enjoy an aperitivo at the local bar overlooking the Cannobio delta, and then enjoy regional specialties of very good quality at the Trattoria Volpe (within walking distance).

Events in Cannobio

The year begins on the eve of January 8 with the Feast of the Most Holy Pietà, a religious event. Tourists usually refer to this evening as the"Festival of Lights in Cannobio", as the whole town and especially Cannobio's old town and waterfront promenade are decorated and magically illuminated with red grave lights. Absolutely worth seeing!

Cannobio is also a real carnival stronghold. During the carnival season, there are many events in the large carnival tent on the sports field. The highlight is the parade through the streets of Cannobio.

In summer, many concerts and other artistic events take place in Cannobio, especially on the promenade. A special highlight: the fireworks display on the lakeside promenade of Cannobio, usually at the end of July, accompanied by music. It is fired from several boats from Lake Maggiore. In addition to the well-known weekly market in Cannobio, several antique, art and specialty markets are held in summer.

The year regularly ends with a huge New Year's Eve party on the lakeside promenade in Cannobio. In previous years, the event was accompanied by a food truck festival . You can find an overview of events in Cannobio here.

As you can see: Cannobio is very diverse and always worth a visit!

How to reach Cannobio

By car: The easiest way to reach Cannobio is certainly by car. Coming from the north (highway A2 Gotthard or highway A13 San Bernardino), leave the highway at the Bellinzona-Sud exit and follow the signs to Locarno. From there, head towards Brissago / Italia along the coastal road until you reach Cannobio.
By train: Either Verbania station (Italy) and from there by bus line 3 (VCO Trasporti) via Verbania-Intra to Cannobio. If you're traveling from the north, we recommend taking the Swiss train to Locarno (Switzerland), from there by bus to Brissago. In Brissago, change to line 3 VCO Trasporti to Cannobio. You can find the VCO Trasporti timetable here.
By plane: The nearest international airport is Milan-Malpensa, from there by Alibus or by train to Verbania and then by bus to Cannobio. There is also a small regional airport in Lugano, but it's hardly served by scheduled flights. Private pilots can fly to Locarno-Tenero Airport.
By boat: As an alternative to the bus, Cannobio can also be reached by boat from Verbania and Locarno. Please note, however, that the ports are not directly at the train stations and therefore a longer walk must be planned. In Locarno, the port can be reached quite easily from the train station; in Verbania a taxi will be necessary. Although the boat trip is very nice for tourists, it is not the best choice for getting there. You can find the timetables of Navigazione Lago Maggiore here. All details can be found on our page Getting to Cannobio.

Cannobio Webcam

Of course, a webcam is also a must: The official webcam of the municipality of Cannobio shows the promenade on Lake Maggiore, you can find the webcam here. The webcam of Lakeview Cannobio shows Lake Maggiore looking north from the Lakeview Restaurant, with a view of Brissago, Ascona, Locarno, and Locarno's local mountain: Cardada. You can read about the weather in Cannobio throughout the year and the best time to travel on our Weather in Cannobio page.

History of Cannobio

Even if the history of the municipality of Cannobio is probably not important for all guests, we do not want to leave it unmentioned.
The origins of Cannobio can be traced back to Roman times, when the area was settled by various tribes. In the Middle Ages, the region around Cannobio was controlled by various rulers, including the Lombards and the Franks. Cannobio was a self-confident market town with its own administration, as evidenced to this day by the Palazzo della Ragione from 1291. In 1342, the town placed itself under the Visconti, the lords of Milan.

The town of Cannobio played an important role in trade, particularly in the salt trade, which was of great importance in the Middle Ages. Like many places on the lake, Cannobio was closely connected to the powerful city of Milan.

Over the centuries, the political affiliation of Cannobio has changed several times between various rulers, including the Visconti, the Sforza and the Borromeo, who played an important role in the history of the region. During this time, Cannobio experienced moments of prosperity, but also times of political unrest and conflict. In 1743, Cannobio, along with the western shore of Lake Maggiore, came under the House of Savoy and thus to the Kingdom of Sardinia.

During the Napoleonic era, Cannobio became part of the Cisalpine Republic and later of the Kingdom of Italy under Napoleon's rule. After the collapse of the Napoleonic Empire, the region returned to the Kingdom of Sardinia with the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and in 1861 to the newly founded Kingdom of Italy.

During the Second World War, the region around Cannobio was in a strategically important position, which led to various military activities and occupations. After the war and the founding of the Italian Republic in 1946, Italy experienced an economic boom, which also had a positive impact on towns like Cannobio. Tourism played an increasingly important role and many places on Lake Maggiore became popular tourist destinations.

Our Lakeview is located just under a kilometer before the entrance to Cannobio, directly on the lake. With us, you can stay in a mobile home on Lake Maggiore, in a holiday apartment in Cannobio, or on a pitch for a motorhome, caravan, or tent.